🇷🇺 Who were the medieval Rus’, genetically?

This large ancient DNA study shows that the people who formed medieval Rus’ (10th–13th centuries) were not Vikings, but mainly Slavic-related populations with a strong Baltic-rooted ancestry, plus regional admixture in the north.

Most Rus’ individuals fall into a Slavic-related genetic core, ancestral to modern Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians. Their ancestry can be traced largely to Bronze Age Baltic populations, which make up roughly 60–80% of their deep ancestry, combined with European farmer-related ancestry (around 20–35%) and only minor Siberian-related input (usually <10%).

In Northern Rus’, the picture changes. These populations still share the same Baltic-based foundation, but they also carry a much stronger Uralic-related component, with ~10–25% Siberian ancestry, similar to what we see today in Veps, Karelians, and northern Russians. This reflects admixture between incoming Slavic groups and local Finno-Ugric populations, rather than replacement.

Crucially, Scandinavian (Viking) ancestry is rare and minor. Only a handful of individuals show small Viking-related signals, and these never dominate the genetic makeup. Even elite warrior burials traditionally linked to Vikings are genetically Slavic/Baltic, not Scandinavian.

Takeaway: The Rus’ state was built on a Baltic–Slavic genetic foundation, with regional Finno-Ugric admixture in the north, and only minimal Viking input. Modern East Slavs largely descend from this medieval population.

Source: Andreeva et al., 2025. Genetic history of Rus’.